Since we returned to California, we have been adjusting to living an a much smaller space. I'm not sure it's any more "green" than out LEED certified house in Colorado, it sure is smaller. As such, that last thing I need is another bike and yet I find with the warmer weather a man's thoughts turn to new bicycles. I've been riding my custom Land Shark cyclocross bike since the early 90s. In it's current configuration I can just shoe-horn a set of 38mm knobbies on it but unfortunately Tom Ritchey stopped making the 38mm MountCross tires about 10 years ago and my last set are worn down to the threads. There are few tires in that size that offer an agressive off-road tread; most seem to be made for hybrids and tracking bikes and have compromise treads best suited for road and gravel. Since it is a custom frame, I specified a lightweight racing bike but it's been 7 years since I raced cross, and I find that I use it as a replacement mountain bike more that a competitive cross racer.
With that I mind I've been looking at frames that are built to use a larger tire. I want something that that can handle extended off-road use but not climb like a pig; not quite as big as a full-size 29er which can get as big as 2.5", but larger than the the 38s I'm limited to on the Land Shark. Panaracer makes a very nice looking tire in 700X45c that seems to be about perfect for my application.
With all this in mind, I'm really excited about the cyclocross built by Mike Varley at Black Mountain Cycles in Pt. Reyes Station, CA. It fits the Panaracer 45s and even larger 29x1.9"tires and has a lot of the same measurements as the Land Shark. It would be easy to swap parts from one to the other pretty easily. Is it time to retire the Land Shark?
